Seniors celebrated on day one of Ryder Cup

September 21, 2021 | 12:05 am

Updated September 21, 2021 | 7:17 am

Daviess County, Owensboro Catholic and Owensboro boys golf competed in a scramble on day one of the Ryder Cup while celebrating its upperclassmen on senior night.

After day one all schools were tied at three and a half, as they will hope to wrap up the event tomorrow weather permitting.

Owensboro had one senior this year and that man is Ryland Chaney. Head Coach Pat Hume said he is a great guy who just happened to pick up golf this year because he tore his ACL.

“Ryland Chaney joined us this year,” Hume said. “He’s obviously not here tonight because he’s at football, but I just wanted to give him a little shoutout. He did come out and pick up the game of golf and he’s shown a lot of improvement, so I think he’s going to be another life-long lover of golf.”

Daviess County had a pair of seniors this year and that includes Braden Whistle and Gabe Vincent.

Head Coach Lars King said he considers Whistle like one of his own and that they share a special bond on and off the course.

“He is what I think of when I think of my kid [and] being able to coach them,” King said. “Because I can have conversations with Braden that I might not be able to have with some other kids. But, I’ve been able to talk to him and again going along with him and his family getting to know them and getting to travel and go to all of these events, they will truly be missed.”

Kings said that Vincent is like no other and that he along with Whistle and their families will be truly missed.

“There are no words for Gabe Vincent,” King said. “He is truly one of a kind. I think Gabe, again, is pretty much like one of my own kids. Gabe is a staple of riding in the van with me. I’ve spent countless miles and countless trips together with Gabe. I’ve gotten to know a lot about Gabe, probably a little bit more than I would like to know.”

The Aces have four seniors, including Eli Thompson, Barrett Martin, Sam Mitchell and Jakob Wellman.

Head Coach Bretnea Thomas said that while Eli is a quiet kid, he gave his all to the game during his four years at Owensboro Catholic and made his mark on the program.

“Eli has been playing golf for as long as I can remember,” Thomas said. “He is an extremely quiet kid. If you’ve had the pleasure to talk to Eli you are a lucky person because he is a man of few words. But I will tell you, he will put in extra time on the range when we’re finished, he will ask all the questions about how to get better and I will really miss having him out here and having our short but sweet conversations.”

Thomas spoke about Martin next, saying that Martin was dedicated to his craft on the course and that seeing his passion for the sport day in and day out was inspiring.

“[He is] truly somebody who wants to get better for the long run,” Thomas said. “You know that this is something he cares about… Even in his senior year getting brand new clubs and trying to put the time in, it’s just something that is so appreciated. For somebody who loves the sport like this, to see somebody else really enjoy it and want to get better for the long run is a really cool thing to experience.”

Thomas went on to speak more about her seniors, saying that Mitchell was a true leader in his time with Owensboro Catholic and that she cherishes their hysterical relationship.

“Sam and I have an interesting relationship,” Thomas said. “We just kind of rip on each other all the time. Most of the time he rips on me, but every once in a while I get one in. He’s such a funny kid and he’s always the biggest supporter… It’s just so cool to have a senior that will dedicate their time like that to some of the younger players and be such a strong support system for our team. So Sam, I have no idea who is going to fill in those shoes, but I’m glad you’ve been here.”

Thomas closed out her speech by talking about Wellman, saying that she couldn’t speak enough about how much Wellman’s game has improved over the years, but said it was his maturity and presence on the course that set him apart from others. 

“I get a lot of compliments about him just being such a good competitor, with different people at all times of all personalities, of all ages… ” Wellman said. “Being in a coaching position and knowing that he has swing coaches and all kinds of people that dedicate time to his game, that’s something that really makes me feel proud, knowing that he’s a good example of what a good golfer should be on the course… So Jakob, thank you for a fun four years. I know we’ve had a lot of great conversations and I hope those don’t go away any time soon.”

With day one wrapped up, the teams will return to Ben Hawes Municipal Golf Course tomorrow for matchplay to close out the Ryder Cup.

September 21, 2021 | 12:05 am

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